Albion
by Aeris - Goddess of Music
Summary: Female Merlin! Starting from the beginning, Merlina arrives in Camelot where she moves in with her Uncle. She meets a King and a Prince. Discovers her destiny, falls in love and becomes respected and loved along the way. No copyright infingement intended.
1. Preface

**Albion**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Merlin. The BBC have that honour. If I had my way, Merlin would not have ended.**  
**No copyright infingement intended.**

**Preface**

There was a time, when people closed their eyes at night, that they dreamed impossible dreams. They dreamt of magic, they dreamt of dragons and fairy-tale creatures that only existed in a person's deepest imagination.

When these things became true, people shied away. They hid, in fear of what could become. There were those, who discovered magic and embraced their gifts out in the open. There were some that did not. They discovered their magic and hid their talent in a hope to save themselves.

There was one who wanted to cease all magic in the lands. When he found the sorcerer's and sorceresses alike, he killed them and threatened all those around him in an attempt to squash any sorcery from being learnt and practiced in all of Avalon.

He was a King. And Uther Pendragon was his name, and Camelot was his Kingdom.

Our story starts twenty years ago, when magic still graced the land. When people did not hide away in fear. King Uther was very young, and oh, so naive. He was a newlywed and his wife, Ygraine, so beautiful, was unable to conceive a child.

Uther, being desperate for a son to carry on in his stead should he die, called on the court physician. His name was Gaius, and he was trusted by Uther as a man would trust his best friend. In many ways, Gaius was indeed Uther's best friend and was loyal to his rulings as a companion and confidant could be.

Acting on the Kings request, Gaius travelled to the Isle of the Blessed and sought council with the High Priestess, Nimueh of the Old Religion and asked for a way to give Uther and Ygraine the chance to conceive the son they needed so much.

She conceded to the request that the King needed an Heir, but she warned Gaius that for such a wish to be granted, a price must be paid. And paid it was.

On a cool summer's eve, the King was given a son. But due to complications during the birth, Ygraine did not survive and shortly passed away after holding her child in her arms.

With her last few breaths, Ygraine managed to part very few words, but she was able to name her son.

She named him, Arthur.

The years passed and the Prince grew, learnt, fought and earned the respect of his father's people. But during that time, Uther began to hate magic and hunted it to near point of extinction. He killed the dragons of the Old Religion, save one which he imprisoned underground, beneath the castle of Camelot.

Now if you asked this dragon about the future, he would tell you one thing. That magic was coming back, and he was right of course.

Leaving the past where it belongs, in the past. We come to twenty years in to the future, where if you looked to the east, to where the sun began to rise over the tops of the hills of Camelot, turning the grass the richest green you could see for miles, you could see a girl.

This girl, who had travelled acres, all the way from her home in Ealdor, would be the salvation Camelot needed. She would help Arthur become the King he was born to be. She would help unite Albion and bring magic back to the lands of Avalon. She would be the greatest sorceress that ever lived.

Her name would be revered. Her name was, Merlina.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

To a stranger's eye, Camelot was a beautiful sight to behold. And to Merlina it was. She wasn't used to luxury; she was just an ordinary farm girl from Ealdor. Well, she told herself that she was just an ordinary farm girl. The truth was she was anything but.

Merlina, when you first looked at her, wasn't a plain girl. She was tall, taller than most anyway. She had light blue eyes, almost grey. People had a hard time deciding which colour they were for they seemed to change each way you looked at them. And she had Raven black hair, that when the sun hit it, changed it to midnight blue.

Yes, Merlina was different. Though she tried to hide it. To her family; her mother and brother, it was no secret about what she could do, but they feared for her safety all the same. So they sent her to Camelot.

Merlina walked through the gates and looked on at the city in wonder. She watched as the people went about their daily lives. Nobody regarded her as different, though some did stare at her as she walked by.

She followed the weaving crowd through the passages to the Castle. All around her, people whispered and held silent conversations. About what, it was unclear, until she came to the Castle courtyard.

An executioner's block had been set up in the middle of the square and a horde of people gathered round and waited, still whispering and murmuring. Merlina paused for a moment to look around. She was going to carry on up to the Castle, having no joy and did not want to watch a person's life being taken away from them no matter their crime; innocent or not. She looked around once more, but stopped when she spotted the Castle balcony occupied by three men.

Two were dressed in the splendour of the Knights of Camelot, and they flanked the man in the middle. The man in the middle was adorned in finery, in silk the colour of a vibrant red with a golden dragon emblazoned over the left shoulder.

Merlina had no qualms or delusions as to who this man was, it was obvious from the way he held himself and the way the Knights stood protectively around him that this was Uther Pendragon; King of Camelot. He opened his mouth to speak.

"When I came to these lands, twenty years ago, Camelot was overrun with evil and sorcery." King Uther said, with a strong commanding presence. "I saw it with my own eyes. So I called it upon myself to rid such chaos from my kingdom. And I was successful by imprisoning the Great Dragon beyond the bounds of Camelot myself."

Uther said all this with a glint in his eyes. Merlina could tell the King believed all magic was evil, but she could not believe that he would warrant it evil without study and deductions over time. It was something else, he was scared of magic.

Merlina looked away from the King, to the windows of the castle where she spotted one open. Peering through it was a girl. A very beautiful girl. She also had Raven black hair, and her complexion was pale as if tired.

From what Merlina could see, the girl in the window was wearing a gown the colour of the finest blue – royal, the girl was watching the events below with sadness in her eyes. Merlina turned back to Uther.

"As you know, anyone caught performing or practising this evilness will be arrested… and then sentenced to death." By now the crowd had stopped whispering. "This man, Thomas Collins," He began as two armed guards dragged a peasant out of the shadows wearing shackles. "Was caught practising magic, and therefore he must pay the full price."

Merlina's stomach did a somersault when she realised what she was about to witness. Without turning to look at the girl in the window, Merlina could tell that she was feeling the same way.

The man was pulled up to the execution block. He was shaking and tears were pouring from his scared eyes. The two guards forced him to his knees and pushed his whole body forwards until his head was resting on the chopping block.

She couldn't bear to watch, so she looked back to Uther. The King raised his arm as the executioner took his place and raised his axe. With a fierce sweep at the same time, Uther and the executioner vastly brought their arms down and a sickening thud could be heard as what was surely the mans head as it hit the ground on the other side of the block.

"He has paid the full price. With his life." Uther said without emotion. "For two decades we have been rid of magic, and to celebrate a feast will be held in three days time. Start preparing and let the celebrations begin."

Uther turned away to step back inside the Citadel and the crowd began to disperse, but they were halted by the distressed scream of an older woman.

"It is not magic that is evil," She said with anguish, pointing at the King. "It is you! You took my son and you must pay. An eye for and eye. A tooth for a tooth. A son for a son."

"Seize her!" Uther ordered, angered that she would even dare to threaten his son. The guards moved to complete the command but the woman who looked Merlina dead in the eye, grasped an amber gemstone around her neck and enchanted a spell. With a gust of wind and a dark storm, the woman was gone.

Wanting nothing more than to leave, Merlina moved on to one of the entrances of the castle. Pausing at the door, she turned to one of the guards.

"Sorry, but where might I find Gaius the Court Physician?" The guard spared her a glance and when he saw her bright blue eyes, was kind enough to give her directions.

"Through there miss. Up the steps."

"Thank you."

Merlina followed the directions given to her and after passing a sign saying 'Court Physician' finally ended up at Gaius' chambers. She knocked on the door and entered.

"Hello?" She said, walking further into the room. "Gaius?" Up on the balcony, surrounded by some of his books, Gaius; the Court Physician and Merlina's Uncle was completely oblivious to his Niece's entry… "Uncle Gaius?" She said again, this time he heard her, and turned around.

Unfortunately he knocked the well-worn banister and it gave way and Gaius began to tumble to what would surely be a horrible injury, if not his death. Merlina's eyes turned gold, and Gaius slowed down in mid-air. Still levitating her Uncle, she looked around for something that would catch him and cushion his landing. She spotted the mattress where he obviously slept and magically moved it beneath him, to save his life.

Yes, Merlina was different. She was magic. Gaius landed with a soft thud and Merlina's eyes faded back to blue. He sat up, and using the adrenaline he had due to his accident, he span around, stood up and focused on Merlina.

"What did you just do?" He asked quickly. Merlina opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. "Tell me!"

"I have no idea what happened!"

"If anyone had seen that!"

"No! That was nothing to do with me! That was…"

"I know what it was! I just want to know where you learned how to do it!"

"Nowhere!" Merlina pleaded.

"So how is it you know magic?" Gaius prompted.

"I don't!"

"Where did you study? Answer me!"

"I've never studied magic… or been taught!" Merlina's mind was running wild. She didn't want to end up like the poor man she just saw being executed.

"Are you lying to me?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"I was born like this!"

"That's impossible! Who are you?" He wondered. Merlina suddenly realised that Gaius didn't recognise her and began searching her bag for the parchment her Mother gave her.

"I have this letter." She said, handing it over.

"I don't have my glasses."

"I'm Merlina."

"My niece! Hunith's daughter?"

"Yes!"

"But, you're not meant to be here till Wednesday!"

"Uncle Gaius," Merlina reminded, "It is Wednesday."

"Right then. You better put your bag in there." And he pointed to the door leading through to the back room of the Physicians quarters. Merlina began to move in that direction, but stopped herself and turned back to her Uncle.

"You… you won't say anything about…" she trailed off and pointed to the mattress she enchanted to catch his fall.

"No." He answered and saw the relieved look on his nieces face. "Although Merlina… I should say thank you."

Merlina smiled and carried on up to the back room… her room.

Finally finding his glasses, Gaius read the letter Hunith had written for him. Her cursive writing was a deep black against the yellowing parchment.

_"My dear Gaius,_

_I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlina were not so._

_Ours is a small village and she is so clearly at odds with people here, apart from her bother, that if she were to remain, I fear what would become of her._

_She needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help her find a purpose for her gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her daughter, keep her safe, and may God save you both._

_You loving sister, Hunith."_


End file.
